Update! We heard it this morning! Oh it was so beautiful, and I definitely cried too! DH heard it also, he was pretty amazed by it. I tried to count the beats and it came up around 130s-140s so... boy? Either way I am walking on clouds today!

HURRAY!!! I'm so excited for you!!!! Isn't it the greatest, that tic-toc, tic-toc in the distance? Congratulations!

My midwife does a glucose test that's a blood test. She said it gives numbers for the last three months, which is obviously better for determining glucose intolerance. I actually read something saying that it's possibly harmful to do the traditional GTT. I was ready to just say no, but then she said she doesn't do that anyway. She also likes to test for anemia in the same blood test and this is when she'd normally do stuff like blood type, but since this is my second and with the same partner, there's no reason to do any of that again.

I also read that knowing any sort of problems that would show up on an ultrasound can often be detrimental to the baby. It affects bonding, which is a big deal for babies with disabilities being able to survive. Ultrasounds are also notoriously bad in false negatives and sometimes false positives. It kills me that technology that was made for submarines and has gone through virtually no testing for safety on humans is being used on the most delicate time in a human's life for such mundane things as knowing the baby's sex.

Couldn't agree more. And I don't get why people have to throw a hissy when I say I decline ultrasounds unless my midwife and I think that it might be warranted. I really rarely mention it, but on another birth club I'm on it came up and man I wish I never said anything.. lol.

Sarah. Wife to Pearry, mama to Pearry II and Isabella Rose, born Breech at home and Benjamin, our January 1st bebe

I have been getting all the "main stream" tests so far..but at the last appointment which was at 28 weeks the baby literally jumped when the midwife went to hear the heartbeat with the doppler, and jumped again whenshe palced it on my stomach again after taking it away for a second (he was not active before this, it happened upon instant contact with my stomach). Soooo, I'm going to decline this check now because that freaked me out. Not sure why they need to do this so often anyway, I can tell he's kicking around just fine in there!

I have been getting all the "main stream" tests so far..but at the last appointment which was at 28 weeks the baby literally jumped when the midwife went to hear the heartbeat with the doppler, and jumped again whenshe palced it on my stomach again after taking it away for a second (he was not active before this, it happened upon instant contact with my stomach). Soooo, I'm going to decline this check now because that freaked me out. Not sure why they need to do this so often anyway, I can tell he's kicking around just fine in there!

Wow, scary... You should feel good that you paid attention and realized your baby wasn't happy. Some people don't put two and two together. Ask your midwife to use a fetoscope, it's so sweet to actually hear the heartbeat and not some electronic version of it. :) Good luck!

I have been getting all the "main stream" tests so far..but at the last appointment which was at 28 weeks the baby literally jumped when the midwife went to hear the heartbeat with the doppler, and jumped again whenshe palced it on my stomach again after taking it away for a second (he was not active before this, it happened upon instant contact with my stomach). Soooo, I'm going to decline this check now because that freaked me out. Not sure why they need to do this so often anyway, I can tell he's kicking around just fine in there!

My midwife used the doppler on my belly at my last checkup-- I had mixed feelings about it, but kind of shrugged it off. Kid kept moving away from the thing, so she was chasing it all around my belly, and finally the baby landed a direct (and very audible) kick directly on the microphone. I may decline that next time, since it seems to make the baby uncomfortable (even though my husband goes all gooey hearing a heartbeat, which is cute), but just that once... it was really quite comical.

My midwife used the doppler on my belly at my last checkup-- I had mixed feelings about it, but kind of shrugged it off. Kid kept moving away from the thing, so she was chasing it all around my belly, and finally the baby landed a direct (and very audible) kick directly on the microphone. I may decline that next time, since it seems to make the baby uncomfortable (even though my husband goes all gooey hearing a heartbeat, which is cute), but just that once... it was really quite comical.

By now you can clearly hear the hb with a fetoscope, which is even sweeter than the doppler! Try it out!

It kills me that technology that was made for submarines and has gone through virtually no testing for safety on humans is being used on the most delicate time in a human's life for such mundane things as knowing the baby's sex.

I've been telling people who ask me now "Do you know if it's a boy or a girl?" that we are having a homebirth and decided against getting any ultrasounds unless we had to. I used to just tell people that I didn't want to find out. Surprisingly, most people I've told have been pretty supportive of not getting an ultrasound (the homebirth is a different story, get lots of "you're crazy" for that!). Before getting pregnant, I read that ultrasound can be used on a male's testicles to sterilize him for 6 months. No thanks. I'm not even sure why the medical establishment uses them (and so often!), is it really only to find out the gender and to basically visually confirm that the baby is in there growing? What's the point?

I'm not even sure why the medical establishment uses them (and so often!), is it really only to find out the gender and to basically visually confirm that the baby is in there growing? What's the point?

Ultrasounds are justified by the medical establishment because they say they can detect potential health issues in utero that can be addressed at birth. Sadly, u/s have been proven to cause cellular mutations and growth retardation, which is exactly the type of issues that u/s are supposed to detect. Ironic, isn't it? And let's not even mention misdiagnosis leading to a lack of mom-baby bonding... Additionally, u/s are supposed to be used to estimate the size and weight of a baby (and therefore determine if the baby is ready to be born in the case of elective inductions c-sections), but they are notoriously inaccurate and have led to many a premature birth. A talented midwife is much more accurate with her hands than an u/s tech is with his machine.

I hadn't heard about the use of u/s to sterilize men, but it doesn't surprise me one bit.

Can you link to the studies proving that ultrasound causes growth retardation and cell mutation in fetuses?

Obstetrical ultrasound is used for MANY reasons. Some, like estimating baby's size or amniotic fluid in late pregnancy, are inaccurate and the results highly subjective. Others, like the anatomy ultrasound (which most people seem to think is only good for telling the baby's sex) can detect a multitude of issues that could affect the birth or the baby. For example, gastroechesis, where the intestines are actually outside of the baby's abdomen. Or certain heart defects requiring immediate care after birth. Placenta previa. Also issues that affect multiple gestations such as whether the babies are at risk for TTTS.

And others are used as a non-invasive way to screen for genetic abnormalities. Obviously whether or not to test for these and what to do with the results is very personal.

Overall the decision about whether and when to use ultrasound is up to the individual family. But saying things like "it's only to find out the sex", "it's never been studied" etc is incorrect.

I completely agree with thorn that the decision regarding whether or not to obtain any prenatal ultrasound is entirely personal and up to the mother and family.

And it's true that ultrasound has never been proven to cause growth retardation and cell mutation in fetuses. However, it has been correlated with these two issues, among many, many, many more.

Ultrasound has never been proven to be safe. (I recommend everyone do thorough research [Note: this little blog post is obviously biased, but has links to dozens of studies/research/articles regarding the potential dangers of ultrasound] before making a decision.) I'm, personally, not willing to take any chances with my baby at this moment in my pregnancy. I am always open to changing my mind if at any point I feel an ultrasound to be medically necessary. Again, this decision is just so personal. Parents have to weigh the risks vs. the benefits of prenatal ultrasound for their family and during this particular pregnancy. There is no right or wrong INFORMED decision.

Sprat, Certified Professional Midwife, loved very much by Sprig, the most open-minded, loving, gentle man in the world, little Sprout and now someone new! on begins with .

I completely agree with thorn that the decision regarding whether or not to obtain any prenatal ultrasound is entirely personal and up to the mother and family.

And it's true that ultrasound has never been proven to cause growth retardation and cell mutation in fetuses. However, it has been correlated with these two issues, among many, many, many more.

Ultrasound has never been proven to be safe. (I recommend everyone do thorough research [Note: this little blog post is obviously biased, but has links to dozens of studies/research/articles regarding the potential dangers of ultrasound] before making a decision.) I'm, personally, not willing to take any chances with my baby at this moment in my pregnancy. I am always open to changing my mind if at any point I feel an ultrasound to be medically necessary. Again, this decision is just so personal. Parents have to weigh the risks vs. the benefits of prenatal ultrasound for their family and during this particular pregnancy. There is no right or wrong INFORMED decision.